Readings for Unit 7: Biodiversity and Conservation
Wednesday, February 25: An Old Story and a New Story
Robert B. Marks, "People Said that Extinction was not Possible," chapter 10 of Tigers, Rice, Silk, and Silt
Mark Elvin, "The Environmental Legacy of Imperial China," in Edmonds, ed., Managing the Chinese Environment
James Harkness, "Recent Trends in Forestry and the Conservation of Biodiversity in China," in Edmonds, ed., Managing the Chinese Environment
In reading these articles, you should keep a series of issues in mind:
- The relationship between diet, ecology, and biodiversity
- The continuity or discontinuity in the diminution of biodiversity from imperial times to high socialism, to the present day
- The role of ideology in preservation or destruction of biodiversity
Monday, March 1: Ethnicity, Tourism, and "Environment"
Ralph Litzinger, "The Mobilization of 'Nature'"
Jianguo Liu, et al., "Protecting China's Biodiversity" Science, May 2003
Look at the articles on the website of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, State Forestry Administration, People's Republic of China, and read about examples of conservation policy.
Then browse the website of the Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge, and read about an organization that is taking a more human-centered approach.
From these readings, consider the following topics:
- What might be the obstacles to implementing the Chinese government's wonderful-sounding conservation policies?
- Is there a contradiction between conservation and the livelihood of people living in biodiverse areas?
- Is ecotourism a good idea? Why or why not?
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